A return to theatre post Covid-19
The return to on-stage theatre post-pandemic has shown to be a difficult recovery for a variety of reasons. The question as to whether theatre is a sustainable industry in this new world where Covid-19 is a part of everyday life is on the minds of many, including actors and those behind-the-scenes whose jobs may still be up in the air. The arts including acting, music and theatre all struggled during the lockdown, as these businesses relied on in-person contact and teams of people that were just not available at the time in a safe, shielded environment.
The idea of the “death of theatre” may seem ridiculous to some, when looking from the outside in, however, there are those who believe this to be quite the opposite. Kevin Lindsay, former lighting technician at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, Scotland, said that he believes theatre to be a dying art, with better work opportunities in TV and film. Mr Lindsay himself left the theatre industry after 35 years due to the impact Covid-19 had on the industry. Mr Lindsay said: “I had started to pick up the odd job in film and TV and I had planned to verge off to that side of things anyways, the pandemic just pushed this idea forward. I now get paid a better hourly rate than I ever did in theatre all while working fewer hours for more money, under contracts with better workers’ rights.” He also mentioned how film and TV “Kept strong even during Covid, unlike theatre.” Mr Lindsay said: “This is why the gig industry is seeing a lot of people coming out of theatre and into TV and film, it is a more stable business with a higher viewership number that has only increased after Covid.” As seen by cinemas returning audiences, theatre still lacks an online streaming market that theatre has yet to break into.
When theatres across the UK closed on March 16th, 2020, following government advice. The aftermath it created for its workers was near fatal. A year after theatres closed in 2020, nearly 40% of theatre and arts workers in London had been made redundant, causing almost 60% to consider quitting the industry altogether because of the impact of the pandemic. Kevin Lindsay said: “Halfway through the pandemic before the furlough, ATG (The Ambassador Theatre Group) sent me a letter trying to change the terms and conditions concerning my contract, massively in the companies’ favour, I refused to sign which resulted in a threat to dismiss, which then led me to sign in order to avoid termination and eventually led to me stepping away after so many years.”
Anna-Fay Jackson is a young actor studying at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, with multiple on-stage credits and gave her insight into what on-stage theatre is like post-pandemic and in a world where Covid-19 is ever-present saying: “During our production of London Road, we had to take a lateral flow test every 72 hours and check in and out of the rehearsal room. During show week, masks were mandatory when in the wings.” Miss Jackson also gave her thoughts on a possible drop in attendance since theatres returned however, was hopeful when saying: “Oh, absolutely! People are definitely afraid to come back to theatres, to sit in such close proximity to other strangers in a packed audience and enclosed spaces, and I do not think the government has helped by telling people that it was easier to spread covid through singing than it was by just speaking, but I think now that the guidelines have been relaxed, and people are less frightened, theatre is beginning to pick up once more. It is so lovely to see fuller audiences and hear larger applauses at the end of shows – which is exactly what the performers deserve!”
The drop off in attendance since theatres returned in comparison to cinemas can be linked to the older generations of audiences and those most at risk being deterred from coming back due to the danger it poses towards their health and wellbeing. This point has been raised by actor Liz Carr who suffers from arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, proposing the idea of separate socially distanced, coronavirus safe performances for those most at risk of infection such as herself. “Theatre should remain accessible even to those of us who have health conditions,” she told BBC News. This comes after a surge in covid infections in the month of April 2022 and while at the Olivier Awards, she said: “I have not been to the theatre in over two years. This is a frightening night for me.” emphasising how unsafe events like these can feel for those most at risk. Following questions about her appearance on stage in front of 1,200 people every night, Mrs Carr said: “Yes, but I was on stage with everybody who was testing, everybody in the cast tested every day, so I felt safer than being a random member of the public in an audience around people I didn’t know.” Which is the reality for most people who would like to return to theatre and feel safe.
Theatre has made a return, in a hopeful way with actors returning to the stage and audiences slowly coming back, however, Covid-19 seems to be here to stay and as a result, unforeseen cancellations of shows are becoming the new norm. Miss Jackson gave her thoughts on this new reality of theatre productions' months of work being cancelled on the spot saying: “It certainly worries me, I think often actors and creators are thought of last, and because of this, we don’t always get notice about theatre closing or productions closing (E.g., ALW Cinderella) and then we end up back at the drawing board. Last year, theatre took such a big hit and lots of furloughed performers ended up in Sainsbury’s, Tesco or working in factories. We were not made for that type of job, and we are so passionate about our vocations, so this was incredibly saddening. I like to try to have faith however, I do hope that after the industry suffered so badly, it will not happen again now that we are back on our feet.” Miss Jackson ends off on a hopeful note believing the worst of it to be over, however recent examples may suggest otherwise. A stage production of Macbeth at the Midtown Manhattan Longacre Theatre was cancelled when their lead Daniel Craig had to pull out with only 2 hours' notice, with the Macbeth on Broadway Twitter page saying: “Today's matinee and evening performance of Macbeth are cancelled due to Daniel Craig just testing positive for covid this afternoon.” This led to extensive refunds for the performances on April 2nd being issued back to those affected.
In this new age of theatre after Covid-19, one breach can cause chaos to a show that takes months of rehearsal and teams of individuals to put on. Many productions shut down due to Covid-19 outbreaks, with as many as half the shows on Broadway being cancelled until able to safely return. The Omicron variant Is being blamed for the extensive shutdowns of shows such as Mrs. Doubtfire which saw a majority of its cast and crew infected within a week of opening in December 2021. The show was put on hold for 11 days at a loss of £3 million and after its reopening failed to draw in audiences due to guests not being able to meet the newly introduced Covid-19 requirements. Producer Kevin McCollum said: "We had to turn some families away who had travelled to see Mrs. Doubtfire, and they don't get angry at the theatre or the virus, they get angry at the show." Mr McCollum had to close the show, and Mrs. Doubtfire opened back up to the public on April 14th after 4 months, a hopeful sign of theatres returns.
The statement that “theatre is a dying art” remains unclear as the entire world took a hit because of Covid-19, businesses are slowly coming back, and theatre is no exception to that, it might just take a little longer for all the arts to gain back their trusting audiences. Mr Lindsay responded to the statement saying: “Theatre is a dying art because it is underpaid and it is expensive to produce, there are smaller profit margins for producers, as a result, fewer producers invest into theatre and therefore there is less variety of content for viewers to consume, also there is less of a developing interest in the art for those to come in and work under, with more film schools coming up and less interest in theatre courses. The pandemic also saw many theatres shutting down, I do believe theatre will be ever-present but there will be an infinitely smaller pool to pick out from, with a main focus on the bigger production shows.” Mr Lindsay's response highlights that he thinks small productions will phase out due to the lack of demand that will be seen in the future due to younger generations' greater interest in film and TV, a media that surrounds them in comparison to theatre.
Miss Jackson said: “Theatre is anything but a dying art – it is alive and kicking and continuing to light up the world. Artists are always inspired by the world around them, and creative people have an amazing ability to turn anything into art, be it a play about the pandemic or a film about a dystopian government. We will always be here to document, entertain and educate people. Art is powerful and that power has surpassed governments who wanted to squash it. Theatre is an art form that will live on forever, and I am so incredibly grateful to be part of such a diverse, colourful, and creative community.” Miss Jackson's response relies on the idea that art is a constant inspiration that people gravitate towards and as a result theatre will never phase out and Covid-19 might have only fuelled this passion in the younger generation who may feel they have missed out because of coronavirus.
The reality is that no one knows whether theatre is a dying art or not, there is no question that it is a struggling industry in the aftermath of Covid 19, but a return to its former self is not out of the question. The art of theatre has withstood the test of time dating back thousands of years and so far, has held its own against the hardships of history, perhaps Covid-19 is just another bump in the road that theatre will be sure to overcome.